Thunder Chicken Down!

[carpsniperg2]

Will keep it short since I am on my phone. I will post a full story tonight.+ a few more pics. It's a super jake "2-3 year old bird with a full fan+ spurs but just a short beard" for people wondering what a super Jake is.9:30am 36 yards. More on the hunt later tonight.

[carpsniperg2]

Pic

[lewy]

  nice work...

[vandeman17]

Nice work Matt

[C-Money]

Nice going! Glad you got out and nailed one!

[bearpaw]

congrats to you, nice bird.....

[turkeyfeather]

Looks like a good dinner is in your future. congrats

[NW-GSP]

saw thunder chicken down and thought wtf someone shot a blue grouse
nice turkey man!

[carpsniperg2]

O.k now that I am home here is the write up. I HATE TURKEYS! This has been the hardest start of turkey season I have ever dealt with. Hunted opening day for 9hrs in the rain to call in 2 hens and seen 3 more later in the day. Then I got busy and saturday and sunday and finally made it back out today. The early morning was slow, called one hen to about 5 yards. Then I went to my normal style of turkey hunting. I hunt them a lot like deer and elk and try to pick/know places they hang and cross. I have 2 favorite spots, one is where 2 canyons come together and the other is where 3 canyons come together "hint hint guys". Well after about a hour at one spot I switched to the other and felt my 3 hrs of sleep catch up to me. As I was about to go lights out proped against a oak tree, I thought I heard a gobble from up one of the canyons. Sure as heck another one came ripping down the canyon. So I beat cheeks up to a area that I know to be a strut zone. I got to about 200 yards of were the strut zone is and started yelping with my mouth call and then the box call to cut the wind. No answer try again no answer! So I break out my secret locator call that has helped me kill many turkeys and pipe off with it. He shocks "gobbles" right back at me. After doing it about 12 time to really piss him off I decided to shut up and slip in to about 100 yards or so. As I crawled threw the oaks I was able to get myself onto the side of the canyon a little above the bird. I got to about 125yards and ran out of room and cover to get closer. So I sat and watched the area for a minute or two and sure enough he pops out strutting back and fourth. I think GREAT! He is alone, I can kill this sob! WRONG! I Look around a little more and there is 5 hens with him. Everyone knows how hard it is to call away a tom from a hen let alone 5 of them! So I started calling and got every one of the hens talking to me. See this is the trick when they are paired up with hens. Sell the ladies and not the tom, then he will follow! So after about a half hour of chit chatting with the ladies they decide to start heading towards me. I am getting excited at this point and as they are coming. I keep saying in my mind follow them, follow them. Well he decided to stay and strut some more. The hens get to about 30 yards and go to feeding and picking around me. Just when I think all is lost here come a Jake, buzz in down the canyon towards me. He runs right past the tom/super Jake that is strutting and strait to the hens and me. At the time I knew the strutter was the mature bird and a tom by his tail feathers. He could not stand that young bird heading towards his ladies, so he tucked tail and came haul in balls down towards me and the other birds. He got to about 50 yards and I shifted my weight to sling my gun up when it was time to shoot. VERY BAD IDEA! one of the hens busted me big time, she saw the movement and started cutting and walking away. Lucky for me, she was still heading past me instead of back up towards the tom. The tom goes out of sturt and starts walking down with a couple of the hens and the Jake. Then he takes off after the Jake and runs him around in circles a few times as they were working closer to me. I started to purr  and soft yelping to calm them down. When the big boy heard those sweet notes he was in love. He went back into strut and came walking to 36 yards in full strut and shaking like you could not imagine. Then I said enough is enough and I let the old 12g eat! It flips him over and he goes to floppin. I swing to get onto the other Jake and the chicken decided to duck into the pile of hens that are running down the hill. I almost touched it off but decided it was not worth hitting the hens, they were close enough together and about 45+ yards away I did not want to risk it. So I got my bird and headed back down the canyon. With the sun on my back and a bird over my shoulder. I could not have had a better day in the woods hunting turkeys.

Thanks for reading.... Matt

[carpsniperg2]

In the field photo, one of my best! I really like this picture.

[benhuntin]

Cool story Matt congrats

[carpsniperg2]

Pic of his spurs.

[aer212]

Awesome Matt, good job!

[demontang]

Congrates

[L8NITE]

Great job on the harvest!!! Great story as well... Congrats!